CHICAGO, Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SomerCor, a non-profit, Certified Development Company (CDC) licensed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the SBA 504 loan program, is proud to announce the appointment of Margy Sweeney, Founder & CEO of Akrete, as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors. Thomas Huffman, Executive Vice President - Wintrust SBA Lending, will serve as Vice Chairman.

"I look forward to working with Margy and Tom to build upon SomerCor's growth and service to small businesses and lending partners through the SBA 504 program and our other economic development initiatives," said Manuel Flores, President and CEO of SomerCor. "We also thank our Chairman Emeritus, Jon Winick, for his many years of service as Chairman. Over the last few years, SomerCor has achieved significant milestones including receiving SBA Accredited Lender Program (ALP) designation and Local Economic Area (LEA) authority to lend in Kenosha and Rock counties in Wisconsin."

Margy Sweeney (Chairman) is the Founder & CEO of Akrete, a WBE national public relations, content, and marketing agency with expertise in both real estate and financial services, including ranking as the nation's #5 real estate public relations firm. Margy has over 25 years of experience in using creative storytelling to promote business growth and has served on the SomerCor board since 2016.

Thomas Huffman (Vice Chairman) is the EVP of Wintrust SBA Lending and has over 35 years of experience in commercial and SBA lending and he has served on the SomerCor board since 2018. Wintrust Community Banks was named the number one SBA lender in Illinois in 2022.

Jon Winick (Chairman Emeritus) is the CEO of Clark Street Capital, a full-service bank advisory firm specializing in loan sales, loan due diligence and valuation, and specialty asset management. Jon has over 20 years of banking experience and has served on SomerCor's Board for 15 years.

"I'm proud of the journey SomerCor is on to support an increasingly diverse set of small businesses. As a business founder and owner myself, I welcome the opportunity to lead this Board of Directors," said Sweeney. "Access to capital can mean the difference between surviving and thriving for many entrepreneurs—particularly for woman, minority, and veteran-owned businesses. I'm pleased to play this leadership role in 2023 as the SomerCor team continues their great work expanding economic opportunities and helping small business owners make their dreams a reality."

Other Board Members include Dean Avdalas (SVP, Commercial Lending - Byline Bank), Jeffrey Bronswick (CEO - Bronswick Benjamin P.C.), James Bruno (VP, Area Manager - JPMorgan Chase), Brian Burke (SVP, Commercial Banking – Old National Bank), Erica King (President - Greenwood Archer Capital), Santiago Martinez (Regional President - Belmont Bank & Trust), Michael Martino (Head of Chicago Emerging Middle Market Banking - Fifth Third Bank), Michael Plumb (Principal - Lee & Associates of Illinois, LLC), William Towns (National Market President for Community Revitalization - Gorman & Company), Julie Winterbauer (SVP, Marketing and Member Relations - Illinois Bankers Association) and Simon Yohanan (SVP, Managing Director of Middle Market Banking - First Bank Chicago).

About SomerCor
The SomerCor mission is to grow businesses, create jobs, and increase impactful investment in every community through the SBA 504 loan program and other financing and grant initiatives. SomerCor serves the entire state of Illinois and Kenosha and Rock counties in Wisconsin. For more information visit www.somercor.com

Contact: Kim Brisky // (312) 505-7032 // kbrisky@somercor.com

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SOURCE SomerCor